“You’re losing, Captain.” Yuven smiled, leaning against the table as the screen displayed the carnage across the ship. Jetta had to press her nails so hard into her hand they drew blood. “Sure, maybe not by much, but that’s one hundred and fifty three of yours slaughtered, and one hundred and forty nine of mine.”

“Your best men could barely hold their own against two ensigns and a doctor.” She spat, glaring up at the man. “What makes you think Lieutenant Mikhailov can’t handle yours?”

“Oh, spare me the snark!” He slammed his hand on the table, glaring at Jetta. As much as he’d like to hide it, Yuven was nervous. He was very, very nervous. She could tell. “You’re going to lose. We will slaughter this ship, take who’s useful, and..well..claim it!”

“There’s nobody you find useful on this ship.” Jetta leaned back. “Not for anything but enslavement, anyways.”

“We can take whoever we want for whatever purpose we need, Jetta. Don’t get it twisted.” He narrowed his eyes. Jetta in return simply stared back at him.

“You’re hiding something.”

“Bullshit.”

“I’m not stupid. I can see it written all over you.” She leans forward…and then it clicks.

“….you’re being chased.” She finally said, raising her brows. “You’re being chased!”

”What??? Pfft, please, that’s—“

”No, no, it makes sense. Your lack of respect for the federations laws, the strange interest in our ship—you want to get away! The recklessness, the lack of communication with your ship, the increased violence!” She stood up, the cuffs and chair rattling as she does. The two men aim their phasers at her. “So this was the chance, and whatever ‘artifact’ we have. . . .it’ll save you, won’t it?”

”Thats a stupid and ludicrous suggestion from a delirious starship captain, you know that?” Yuven walked forward, flicking his baton. But just as he did—

“Captain…she’s bluffing, right?” One of the men asked. “You’ve barely talked with us about what happened between you and that one chief…”

”Thats none of your business! Stand there and aim, you-“ Before Yuven could finish, a solid metal chair came flying at his head and slammed him into the wall. Jetta lunged across the table and rammed a knee into one of the armed Vaadwaur’s face, with the cuffed chair coming into the others.

“AUGH! You—URGH! JETTA DOWE, I’LL KILL YOU!” Yuven screamed, charging forward with the baton. She was able to scramble out of the way just in time with Yuven’s hit, rolling under the table—but the cuffs were still bounding her. But now the door to the room was open.

She had to make a choice, and she chose her life.

With a painful and agonizing crack, Jetta yanked her left hand forward and snapped a few bones in her hand, causing her to cry out—but she had a free hand now. All it took was a button release that was juuuust out of her reach, and she was free.

“I am not something you can just—KILL!” Jetta sneered, lunging out from under the table and grabbing one of the rifles off the floor, blasting it at him. Her hand made it difficult to hit—and, so, it didn’t—but it gave her enough time to run out of the room.

She had escaped.

–

Jetta didn’t have many places to go; she knew engineering was a bust, and knew that most places in the ship were crawling with Yuven’s men.

As she walked down the halls, crawling close to the floor, Jetta had already wrapped her hand. It felt clunky when she moved it, and obviously pretty painful, but…it was better than lying dead.

However, as she continued down the hallway, the lights flickered. Looking upwards, Captain Dowe heard the ever too fimiliar beep of her PADD. It was. . . .on? But it was flickering—almost like there was little time.

There was no hesitation from the captain as she got straight to typing an SOS.

[ BOARDED – MANY DEAD MANY INJURED – USS MORRO BAY – SOS ].

She let out a huff and sent the message out, praying that it gets somewhere. But the lack of signal—it wasn’t a risky gamble. The captain hobbled to the turbolift and opened it, letting out an exhausted sigh. She was bounded the time her crew needed her most. But now? She’s not, and now…she has to act. There has to be a way she can get rid of the Vaadwaur and save her crew at the same time.

Hmmm. . .

how deadly is a leaking warp core in a confined space again?